California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill to expedite warranty dispute resolutions.
Assembly Bill No. 1755 is backed by RVIA and numerous state and automotive interests.
RVIA President and CEO Craig Kirby said, “With California’s RV industry generating a staggering $11 billion in economic output and supporting over 51,000 jobs, the swift resolution of warranty issues is critical.”
Supporters said the bill enables consumers to obtain faster relief and reduces the burden on the California judicial system. The legislation accomplishes this by:
- Creating a pre-dispute notice requirement, ensuring the consumer notifies the correct manufacturer contact.
- Incentivizing consumers and manufacturers to resolve claims more quickly by permitting consumers to obtain civil penalties if they comply with this requirement. Manufacturers may be charged with civil penalties if they do not comply.
- Creating an early mandatory mediation process. The process will ensure the consumer has more touch points with the correct contact at the manufacturer.
- Streamlining document production for both sides to reduce the number and cost of discovery battles.
- Streamlining the civil procedural process of consumer warranty claims, which could reduce the burden on the judicial system.
RV manufacturers’ crucial takeaway is establishing the correct contact consumers can reach to begin the dispute resolution.
The bill text said the pre-dispute notice shall be “in writing and shall be sent either by email to the email address prominently displayed on the manufacturer’s website for this purpose or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the address provided by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual or warranty booklet. The notice information on the manufacturer’s website, owner’s manual and warranty booklet shall be provided in both English and Spanish.”
Manufacturers with dispute resolution contact information on their websites now should ensure the information is “prominently displayed,” likely on the home page, with both email and snail mail address information. The information needs to be available in English and Spanish.
The manufacturer contacts receiving the emails or snail mail must be able to react and respond quickly to pre-dispute notices. Depending on the dispute resolution action taken, manufacturers have 30 or 60 days to respond to consumers’ notifications or risk civil penalties.
“AB 1755 is a crucial step towards ensuring the continued growth and success of the RV industry,” Kirby said, “while simultaneously protecting the rights of California consumers.”
The legislation is effective April 1, 2025 for actions filed on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
